(ALEXANDRIA, VA—APRIL 4, 2014) Coverings 2014, the tile + stone industry’s largest international exposition in North America, offers an exceptionally wide-ranging conference program comprising more than 80 free sessions, many aimed specifically at architects and designers with the added benefit of CEU credit. Coverings returns to Las Vegas for its 25th Anniversary, April 29–May 2, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with the education program beginning April 28 — adding a fifth day of conference programming.
In addition to the more than 900 exhibitors, architects and designers often cite the free CEU credits and conference sessions, which are categorized by professional experience ranging from novice to corporate leader, as a primary reason for attending the tile + stone super show. Coverings is an AIA/CES Provider, an NKBA CEU Provider Partner and is IDCEC approved. For the complete list of IDCEC and AIA approved sessions, please visit coverings.com/education.
In addition to the Keynote and Featured Speakers previously announced—including Lauren Rottet, president of Rottet Studio; Randy Fiser, chief executive officer of ASID; and Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone Color Institute—other conference topics of particular interest to the architecture and design community include best sustainability practices for tile and stone; guidance to getting your projects published in the new digital age; and how advancement in technology and production is resulting in never-before available tile, stone and glass. For the first time ever, Interior Design magazine will offer an Editorial Portfolio Review, giving architects and designers the coveted opportunity for a one-on-one meeting to showcase their latest projects.
Here are the details to some of these not-to-be-missed sessions:
Luxury Appointments Elevate Bath Projects into Lucrative Profit Centers. Internationally acclaimed interior designer Christopher Grubb advises that passion for a luxurious bath experience has gone mainstream, elevating the bathroom to one of the most intricately designed and unique rooms in any project. Recognizing that it literally pays to take notice of this trend, Grubb shares how to inject the bath with those special and sophisticated details that resonate with consumers. Leave armed with the applicable knowledge you’ll need to implement an unforgettable bath experience in virtually any setting.
Tuesday, April 29, 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Interior Design Magazine Editorial Portfolio Review. Edie Cohen, Deputy Editor of Interior Design magazine, will be accepting one-on-one appointments with architects and designers to provide feedback from the magazine’s point of view. Participants are encouraged to bring digital portfolios of projects that are no more than a year old and have not yet been published to reference during the 10-minute session. Printed photography also accepted. Participants must reserve their spot in advance by registering at coverings.com.
Tuesday, April 29, 2–4 p.m.
Case Study of Development of National Food Chain Specification for Material Selection, Design Methodologies and Construction Techniques. Writing a quality specification for a project is a challenge. Writing one for a national restaurant chain is even more daunting. It takes a complete collaborative effort. Scott Conwell of the International Masonry Institute shares his case study with attendees, including product selection, writing the specification, consulting with experts, mockups, and implementation of the spec.
Wednesday, April 30, 8:30–10 a.m.
Specification 2.0 – Harnessing the Full Potential of Tile in Modern Specs. Tile expert Ryan Fasan notes that the modern age of ceramic tile began around 1970—and since then, the innovations in aesthetics and quality have jumped by leaps and bounds. The presentation will explore the four types of tile, production techniques, an easy rule of thumb for providing simple language to explain choices to clients easily, and select the optimal tile for every job.
Wednesday, April 30, 9:15–10:15 a.m.
Man Made Natural: Insights Into the Authenticity of Materials. In the world of materials, “real” is good and “fake” is bad, right? In the age of tree plantations, engineered lumber and bio board, what exactly does “natural” mean now? And are natural materials always a better choice than manufactured ones? Grace Jeffers, editor of the forthcoming The New Materials Handbook, will explore these and other issues that influence our decisions to choose natural or synthetic materials. Learn surprising truths about materials and confront their preconceptions and, ultimately, become more educated in specifying materials.
Wednesday, April 30, 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Get me on TV! Television producer Nicola Lees will present the ins and outs of getting on TV, from auditioning as a host or guest designer to an existing show to pitching your own show to a network. Lees has over 15 years of experience in pitching and developing reality shows, including home design/makeover shows, for a variety of networks.
Wednesday, April 30, 1:30–2:30 p.m.
What’s Hot in Hospitality Design? Deputy Editor of Interior Design magazine Edie Cohen presents the next dimension in hospitality public and private spaces. A panel of experts, including Erla Ingjaldsdóttir and Tryggvi Thorsteinsson of Minarc, Gerry Jue of BAMO, Jerry Beale of Wilson Associates and Sean Knibb of Knibb Design, will help you stay ahead of the game with information on what’s new, what’s hot, and what will be the next big thing in hospitality.
Wednesday, April 30, 2:45–3:45 p.m.
Social Media for Architects and Designers. A full lineup of experts including Steven Thomson, content director for Architizer; Tabitha Sukhai, digital engagement and social media for This Old House; and Kerrie Kelly, designer and blogger of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab; joined by moderator Arpi Nalbandian, editor of PROInstaller magazine, will present best practices for using social media to make a difference for your business.
Thursday, May 1, 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Get Published. How do you go about getting your projects published in a digital age? Our panel of influential editors—Architectural Record’s Sheila Kim, Dwell’s Diana Budds, and Design Milk’s Jaime Derringer—will share how to best present your work to them and the publishing (print and online) industries. The panel will be moderated by Metropolis editorial director Paul Makovsky.
Thursday, May 1, 1:30–2:30 p.m.
Universal Design. When applied to housing, “Universal Design” is the practice of designing for both marketability and usability to the greatest extent possible for everyone, regardless of their age or status in life. A universal result has to look good and work well. This session, presented by speakers Daniel Huard, USGBC Nevada; Jason McNeeley, Hansgrohe; Gary Jewell, G.W. Jewell Construction, and moderator Richard Duncan, Mace Universal Design Institute, will showcase products and designs that appeal to households of all ages an add value when compared to otherwise equivalent approaches.
Thursday, May 1, 1:30–2:30 p.m.
Trends in Tile. Presented by Chris Abbate, Novità Communications, Ryan Fasan, Professional Attention to Tile Installations, and Marianne Cox, Marazzi USA (or other Tile Council of North America representative), this session will examine advancements in cutting-edge digital technology and the revival of artisanal processes that have collided to transform both the look and application of tile, creating limitless opportunities for designers—and opening up new channels for customization. Super thin, super thick, super small, super sized—the very format that tile comes in has been pushed to extremes, expanding how and where tile can be installed.
Thursday, May 1, 2:45–3:45 p.m.
Learn about all of the conference sessions tailored to architects and designers by clicking here. Register to attend Coverings for free at coverings.com/register.
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About Coverings
In 2014, Coverings celebrates its 25th Anniversary as the largest and most important ceramic tile and natural stone trade fair and expo in the United States. It features exhibitors from more than 35 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative tile and stone products in the world.
The exposition serves as a valuable resource for continuing education for all segments of the industry, with more than 80 informative, accredited seminars and live demonstration sessions throughout the show, all free of charge.
Coverings attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders and real estate developers, as well as journalists and bloggers who cover this vital and dynamic industry.
Sponsors of the show are The Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), Tile of Spain/Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer’s Association (ASCER), Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and Tile Council of North America (TCNA). The show is managed by National Trade Productions.
Coverings 2014 will be held April 29—May 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information, visit www.coverings.com or contact National Trade Productions, Coverings Show Management, 703-683-8500.
